School Board Policy 649 -
Early Admission Into Kindergarten
Adopted: november 9, 2015
Revised: June 13, 2022
I. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for early admission to White Bear Lake Area Schools for a student who has not met the kindergarten age requirements established in statute.
II. General Statement of Policy
Pursuant to Minnesota Statute 2012, Section 124D.02, subdivision 1, the White Bear Lake Area School Board chooses to provide opportunities for children who have not reached the age of five years by September 1 in any year to be considered for early admission into kindergarten for that year upon application by the parent/guardian and successfully meeting the District’s requirements.
A. Kindergarten enrollment. Entrants, in general, must be five (5) years of age by September 1 of the current school year.
1. Children born between September 2 through October 31 who, after a comprehensive evaluation in cognitive, social, and emotional development domains, have been determined by District staff to have demonstrated superior cognitive ability, above average social and emotional maturity, and have led District staff to determine that the child has the ability to satisfactorily meet kindergarten expectations and the ability to progress to first grade in the subsequent year may be admitted if qualified under provisions specified below.
a. Testing, information obtained from a parent/guardian, and teacher observations of the child’s knowledge, skills, and abilities will be used to determine placement. The comprehensive evaluation will use valid and reliable instruments and be aligned with Minnesota's kindergarten expectations in addition to the expectations noted above.
b. Students are required to undergo an evaluation administered by a School District school psychologist.
c. Students are required to be current on immunizations and, for students seeking admission into kindergarten, must undergo early childhood health and developmental screening.
d. Parent(s)/guardian(s) are required to complete a child development inventory as selected by District personnel.
e. Costs associated with individual student testing will be borne by the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s).
f. The final decision for determining early entrance will be made by District personnel after the evaluation is concluded.
g. The Superintendent (or designee) will establish a timeline and procedures to administer this policy.
Legal Reference:
Minn. Stat. § 120A.20 (Admission to Public School)
Minn. Stat. § 124D.02 (School Board Powers; Enrollment)